Search form

TRENDING:

FEATURED:

Yes, Our Enemies in Iraq are Listening, Part II

I’ve previously written in this space that our friends and allies are watching the posturing and listening to the debate in the U.S. Congress regarding the American commitment to remain in Iraq. I've noted that the “pull the troops out now” politicians are emboldening the enemy as their defeatist words reinforce the impression that America will cut and run when the going gets tough. Thank goodness we had stronger politicians around during World War II; I can only imagine today’s liberal elements advocating withdrawal after American forces suffered 19,000 losses after the Battle of the Bulge in 1944. (Many of the casualties were suffered, I might add, due to a failure in Allied intelligence to accurately project Axis forces. I don’t recall the opposition party claiming that FDR had falsified intelligence to go to war, but I digress.)

Earlier today Vice President Cheney was in Afghanistan to meet with President Karzai to discuss ways to fortify the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It comes as no surprise, according to a Washington Post article written today, that Afghan tribal leaders are skeptical about our commitment to their country. Why are they skeptical? you might ask. Let me quote the relevant section of the piece written by Post staff writer Howard Schneider:

“The [U.S.] official said that Karzai was 'upbeat,' but relayed comments from Afghan tribal leaders skeptical about U.S. commitment to the country — a concern deepened, the official said, by Democratic talk of a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

'They worry about that,' the official said. 'If they see weakness on the part of the U.S. . . . they worry about our commitment.'"

The tribal leaders who are helping root out the Taliban are concerned about our commitment to their country and have only had their concerns deepened by Democratic talk on Capitol Hill about withdrawing our forces — cutting and running — before the job is done. Don’t believe me: Take it from the Afghan tribal leaders themselves. While our liberal friends in the Congress believe that their talk of leaving the battlefield before the job is accomplished does not harm morale to our troops or our allies, the facts continue to prove otherwise.